The Ashari Files
by taking it easy
Summary: Based on Coeur Al'Aran's Relic of the Future (with permission). Great fic. Highly recommend. If you haven't read it, this won't make much sense. This will be a collection of side stories outside of Coeur's general story. This will include several characters, but will mostly focus on Emerald because she's adorable. Shenanigans abound. No particular order.
1. Daddy, Meet Sun

**Credit to Rooster Teeth for the show, the characters, and the setting. Credit to Coeur Al'Aran for the history. This is an AU based on his **_**Relic of the Future.**_** I highly recommend it, as every one of these shorts will be based on that fanfiction. Which reminds me: Spoilers Eminent.**

…

Emerald Ashari shifted in her seat, eyes glued to the ground. She took a deep breath. Her dad rarely denied her, but then, she rarely asked for things like this. Jaune had talked to her a while back about boys, but at the time she had never thought she'd ever care.

Then _he_ showed up. Sun Wukong, with his messy hair and bright smile. He reminded her of Daddy.

Maybe that was why she liked him.

It had been a surprise when he asked her out. Yang had _freaked_. But despite herself, Emerald had been interested. So, she said told him she'd ask her dad. After all, if Jaune said no, there's no way she would do it. Sun had acquiesced after that, and now the pair was sitting on their couch, waiting for Jaune to come in so they could introduce him to Sun.

He had been busy, probably talking to Junior, Emerald mused. But he had said he'd come talk right after.

"So," Sun began amiably, trying to erase the silence, "This is your place, huh? It's nice. Very homey."

She didn't normally speak to people she didn't know well. She preferred to let others do the talking. She now wished she had put in the practice, at least. Talking to a boy was hard. He was nothing like Whitley, and she couldn't really _ignore_ him. He was too bright – too warm.

She nodded, about to comment about the small abode Jaune had purchased when he learned Weiss and Whitley Schnee would be their houseguests.

"Hey, Em. So, this is the friend you mentioned?" Jaune interrupted them casually, taking note of the familiar faunus boy on his couch. The _very_ familiar faunus boy. "Sun?"

The two blondes blinked at each other.

"Jaune?" Sun asked, incredulous. He turned to the green haired girl beside him. Emerald was staring at him with the most bemused look on her face, "Jaune is your dad?"

Emerald nodded slowly, watching from the sidelines as Jaune and Sun caught up. From what she gathered from their conversation, the two had met years ago, before she had even been adopted. And apparently, they had met in a similar way, too. Sun had tried to pickpocket the man just as she had that day.

"Wait, when I do it," Sun had replied, "I just get a couple thousand lien, but she gets a new life?"

Jaune shrugged, "You said you had friends to look after in Vacuo."

_That_ got Emerald's attention. Not what was said, but rather what _wasn't._

"You would've adopted Sun?"

Jaune smiled as Sun blinked at him, "Yep. You might've been siblings."

"Whoa, wild." Sun breathed, looking at Emerald again.

Emerald was staring at her dad, who was staring right back.

The man shrugged.

"Well," Sun added, sensing a growing tension, "I'm glad you didn't. That would've made it awkward when I asked her out."

In an instant, Emerald's face went red, and Jaune's eyes widened.

"You what?"

…

**Based on Chapter 3. Jaune considers taking Sun with him, but decides against it because Sun has others to look after.**


	2. Don Ashari

**Again, this story is based of Coeur Al'Aran's **_**Relic of the Future.**_** A fantastic read. **_**RWBY**_** is owned by Rooster Teeth.**

**So, this kind of exploded. I guess this is what it's like to ride the coattails of another's popularity. I'm okay with that, it was expected. Wanted, even. I want people to read his fic. Anyway, a lot of these will be short – I noticed some comments about the length. These are just shorts. "Deleted scenes" if you will.**

…

"Hello again, Junior."

The words seemed to echo ominously in the quiet study. Several books and papers were strewn across a desk, and two people were seated on either side. Behind the desk, hands were steepled together like some cliché supervillain sitting in an elegant chair. Before the desk, a simpler wooden chair held another, a supervillain's right hand, in a way.

"I'm sure you know why you were called here today."

An answer wasn't expected, of course. A beat of silence permeated the room.

"It's time we move forward with our plans. We can't afford to wait any longer."

Almost in a bored fashion, Ashari leafed through some of the papers. Half-lidded eyes conveyed a complacency, as if nothing were wrong with these occurrences.

A fist slammed on the desk, carefully avoiding any delicate objects, "Yes! We must take down the Snowman gang!" Another beat passed, "Don't laugh at that name. I assure you this is a very serious matter.

"So, here's what we're gonna do."

Standing up from the rolling office chair, the boss walked around the desk, sliding a few innocent looking papers around to be viewed. Cold eyes looked down on the seated audience.

"We're gonna attack them head on, so we'll need all our forces."

Paper's shifted about under nimble fingers until a map of Vale and a ledger was brought forward.

"If we come at them from this angle," A finger swiftly traced out a line across a few streets, "We can blindside them. They'll never see it coming."

A quiet stare was the only answer received.

"It'll work if we divide our force evenly, and let the alpha group take the flank while beta group dives in from above." Another beat, "We'll need choppers."

"And Roman." the voice sounded ominous in the quiet study, a low tone that conveyed utmost serious to the two occupants of the room. "Roman will lead a smaller team. Gamma team will infiltrate their base—" again, a finger slid around the paper, tracing tactical lines around various buildings, "—here and here. They'll sneak through the compound and start taking them down from the inside."

Then, with a satisfying _smack,_ the map was slammed down on the desk, and Ashari turned around with a vicious grin, "And me? I'll be on the front lines, taking down the bad guys and leading you all to victory." A puff of a chest, a victorious pose, a triumphant grin – pride radiated through the room, "With me at the forefront, there's no way we can lose! We'll show these guys the Red Axe gang is a force to be reckoned with!" Brandishing a pistol in the air, taking care not to fire, Ashari went on, "We'll conquer Vale, then the _world!_ Muahaha—"

A knock on the door silenced her immediately. Slowly, the door waved open, and Emerald stowed her weapon away and watched the entrance with a reddening face.

"Em?" Jaune inquired as he peaked in, "Were you talking to someone?"

The smaller Ashari's eyes couldn't help but flicker down to the other occupant.

Jaune sense something in her demeanor, and smiled, "Well, anyway, dinner's ready. Come and eat before it gets cold."

"Yes, sir."

When Jaune left, she picked up the teddy bear he had gifted her so long ago and quickly stashed it in her room.

…

**So, in chapter 10, Coeur mentions a teddy bear that Jaune gets Emerald.**


	3. Day of Fate

**Say it with me, everyone. "Coeur Al'Aran is a really good writer and RWBY fans should try his fics. Especially **_**Relic of the Future,**_** the fic on which these shorts are based."**

**Good job!**

**Now, should I tag the genre of each chapter? I'm thinking about it. This one is kind of adventure-y.**

…

Every day was a fight for survival. From scrounging around the trash for scraps of food tossed out behind restaurants to using her powers to pickpocket people and pilfer any valuables, Emerald had to struggle every minute of every day to make sure she would stick around.

That had always been the status quo for her. She had to look after herself, she didn't have anyone else to care for her, and she didn't have anyone else to care for either. All she had to do was find a way to get her next meal, waiting – dreading – for the day everything changed.

The life of an urchin was like that, she would remind herself. Her crimson eyes glanced around the street, seeking targets. That guy – too poor, he wasn't worth the effort. Him – no, she was pretty sure he worked with the King, she'd never get away with it. A woman right outside a jewelry store – she was bound to have cash on her, but such a crowded place might not bode well.

Then she saw him. Walking down the street was a tall, blonde man who seemed lost in his own head – perfect. He had a fancy-looking sword on him, too. He must've been a Huntsman. If she just used her semblance, no one would suspect a thing—

That was her mindset, he was the perfect mark – until the pain came.

Her soul reached out, surrounding his perception with her ability. Her hand, nimble as ever, reached up to his pocket. Then, like lightning, her hand was in a bear-trap-like grip and pain was running up her arm, sending shocks up her body and nearly bringing her to her knees. A resounding _crack_ broke the silence like a wave crashing through a dam, then a blood-curdling scream flooded from her lungs.

The trap – his hand tightened, and she felt the bones in her wrist grating against one another. Tears escaped her eyes, and she pleaded, "P-please. I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I didn't mean—"

The man's hand tightened again, cutting her off. She let out a small whimper, mentally begging the pain to end. Mentally pleading for relief but not daring to speak up.

Eyes full of unhidden fear, Emerald stared up at the man. His expression was one half shock and the other half contemplation. A cold, uncaring contemplation that Emerald recognized. He was about to—

"Please don't hurt me," she begged, unwilling to clench her eyes, "I-I'm sorry."

Then, miraculously, the pain receded. She couldn't help but gasp when she felt her wrist shift back into alignment, like her own power was being guided to fix her arm. It felt – it felt –

It didn't really feel like anything, Emerald noted, eyes full of wonder. There was no pain or discomfort, nor was there some life-changing empowerment in feeling her wrist force itself back into place.

There was a sweet, blissful numbness in that moment. Only vague phantom pains suggested that her arm had been broken so effortlessly.

Not that she needed reminding. _That_ thought was still very fresh on her mind.

"I'm not going to hurt you." The man's voice came in a small whisper, but his voice was the only noise she could focus on right now. She needed to get away, quick.

"You're a pickpocket, right?" He asked, prompting her for an answer.

"Y-Yes."

She had given a simple answer to a simple question, but little did Emerald know, this was the day she had been waiting for.

The day _everything_ changed.

…

**Based on Chapter 7, when Jaune meets Emerald (obviously).**


	4. The New Kid

**So, uh. How about that new chapter? Y'all reckon Emerald might actually develop something for Sun after she gets "The Talk"? Wouldn't **_**that **_**be something.**

**Anyway, same as always, this fic is based on Coeur Al'Aran's **_**Relic of the Future.**_** Probably my personal favorite fanfic ever. If you haven't read it, I don't know why you're here, but, uh, check it out.**

…

The students of the Ashari Specialist Hunstman Gym, or ASH Gym as it was normally called, were a ragtag group of youths from various walks in life. There was Emerald Ashari, daughter of the owner and prime instructor, Jaune Ashari. There was Yang Xiao Long, daughter of two of the most prestigious hunters in Vale, Summer Rose and Taiyang Xiao Long. There was Vernal, a bandit who travelled from Mistral just to find the only man who ever actually taught her anything.

Vernal was the oddest out of the students, notably in the way that all the other students despised her. She was crass, rude, and arrogant – and her strength and skill lent itself toward defeating other students rather handily, to the point that they _couldn't_ do anything to dissuade her of the notion that she was the Jaune's top student.

She _was _Jaune's top student, to their ire.

But then, one day, a new kid with bright hair and a brighter smile walked in. One that had their instructor gaping from the beginning. With simple armor and a small sword, the boy – no older than sixteen – waltzed into the gym looking for training. The pride with which he carried himself was unmistakable, even as he grinned and greeted his soon-to-be peers with utmost politeness and seeming sincerity.

Vernal, of course, offered to show him the ropes with a spar. Mr. Ashari had seemed reluctant, but when the new kid agreed, he found there was nothing he could do.

In an instant, Vernal was on top of the boy, bringing her blades down on his head. The ringing tone of steel on steel sounded in the room, and people were shocked when they didn't _see_ the boy's sword come up to defend him.

The sword arced outward, pushing Vernal back, and she leapt to his flank, readying another attack with fierce accuracy.

The boy turned toward her, levelling his blade once more and watching calmly as sparks flew from the simple contact. The boy's face didn't alter from his grim determination.

"Who is this guy!?" Yang shouted with great indignation – suddenly some other no-name kid came barreling in and dominating just as Vernal had before. Beside her, Emerald was much the same, watching with irritation as the battle unfolded before her.

Who did this boy think he was?

The simple sword was brought around again to deflect yet another attack, and Vernal huffed at the steadfast foe. While the boy had not yet offered a counterattack, neither had his defense yielded even an inch.

So, pushing forward with her own blades, Vernal fought to lock their arms in a stalemate and bring her leg up between his.

He beat her to it, sliding his leg forward and arcing it to trip her up. Vernal let up easily, rolling away from the boy to regain her footing and prepare for another offensive volley. She didn't get the chance when he made _his _move. Suddenly, he was in her guard, sword arcing upward and angled tip first to catch her in the eye.

When Vernal couldn't help but flinch back with one eye shut, every spectator went silent. Even Jaune Ashari, as attuned to surprises as he was at that point, balked at the sight of the boy outperforming everyone's expectations.

"You fight kinda like my fairy godmother," the boy said, watching her with wide blue eyes, "Though she's way better."

Vernal glared in return, ready to retaliate is annoying, humiliating, nonsensical words with her weapons.

Quick swipes went over his blonde hair, avoided by the barest breadth when he leant out of place. Strikes intended to gut the boy reached short of his Pumpkin Pete hoodie when he stepped back. An attempt to impale his feet right through his _stupid_ sneakers was dodged artfully when the boy reared his leg back for a kick.

The boy was so _obviously, infuriatingly childish._ Vernal couldn't stand it. But each of her attacks ended up dodged or deflected.

Then she got the first solid hit of the match.

Everyone flinched when her blade slammed down decisively on his head, right where the forehead met the scalp. Everyone flinched when the steel met the flesh, ready and willing to cleave through it and threatening to drop the boy then and there. Everyone flinched, except him.

Jaune Ashari watched with wonder when Jaune _Arc_ tanked the blow like a pro, not even flinching when the arm sneaked through his defenses to slam into his head. The young boy didn't back away, didn't wince, didn't even _react_ other than taking advantage of Vernal's shocked fury.

Crocea Mors – the original version – swiped up at Vernal, catching her other hand and disarming it. Then with his free hand, Jaune Arc reached up to Vernal's second blade and grabbed her wrist, twisting it and forcing her to drop her other weapon.

Then Jaune Arc's leg came up between them, pushing and pushing, sending his opponent flying away from him and her weapons. The boy stood between her and the blades, readying his sword from an approach.

"W-who _are_ you!?" Vernal bit out the question on everyone's minds. The boy looked normal – childish but nice clothes indicative of a regular childhood, clean face and hair and unguarded expression radiating exhilaration at his victory, even his eyes belied some kidlike wonder at what he'd been able to do.

Yet he'd dispatched _Jaune Ashari's best student,_ while taking only one hit that didn't even bring his aura down more than one percent. Everyone wanted to know who this kid was.

But Jaune Ashari knew. What _he_ wanted to know was what happened to give this boy such skill. What had he done to lead to his younger self being trained to such prowess? He dearly hoped the younger version hadn't ascended the way he had – through endless strife and hardship and losing everything that mattered before being forced to survive on his own in a world out to kill him.

"I'm Jaune Arc! And I'm gonna be a hero!"

That, at least, comforted Ashari. Emerald, however, now had _far_ more questions. The most prevalent being…

… Why did this kid have her dad's old name?

…

**Not based specifically on any part of the story. More just based on my general dislike of Vernal.**


	5. A Weapon

**Coeur Al'Aran's **_**Relic of the Future **_**is a beautiful fic. **_**The Ashari Files **_**is based on it, so if you haven't read it, I highly recommend it.**

**Now, I hope you've all realized that these are in no predetermined order. I write them as I come up with them.**

…

Soon, Emerald would be getting her own weapon. Then she'd be _way_ more useful to him.

It was obvious from the day she met him, the Smiling Man was a dangerous character. Fighting all sorts of monsters on the daily, it seemed. Emerald knew that if she wanted to continue to be of use, she'd need to be able to fight.

And oh, how she longed to be of use. This was the greatest thing to ever happen to her, really. A soft bed, good food every day, and actual warm clothes – even if the shoes were really tight – were luxuries she had never known before. She would gladly strive to serve her owner long as she could, and if that meant fighting for their lives, well—

Bring on the training.

Silently, as she lied in bed one night, Emerald began thinking on what kind of weapon she'd get.

Perhaps she'd have a rifle, so that she could fight from a distance. Silently sniping her owner's enemies while remaining unseen by them, letting her owner get up close to tear them apart like he usually did.

Or perhaps she'd wield a grenade launcher, something that would allow her deal lots of damage quickly, rending through armor and aura alike with sheer force.

Maybe she'd get something more exotic, like a scythe. Something people wouldn't expect or easily be able to counter.

Secretly, she hoped to have a sword and shield, so she could fight like her owner. It was so cool, the way he fought. With fierce moves and relentless tactics, like an unstoppable force and immovable object rolled up into one man. A blood knight that would tear monsters apart.

She wanted to be like that, to make her owner proud by being just like him.

Days later, when the Smiling Man admitted that she would be receiving a custom piece, she had hoped it would be a cool sword and shield, designed to be like his but look like hers. The hope was dashed the next day.

Replaced by sheer _elation_. Two pistols, great for simple but agile ranged combat. Blades that folded out from the barrels to make sickles, ready to carve through anything in melee. And chains connecting the two, able to extend her reach and trip up foes like some weird, never-before-seen whip thing.

It was _so _cool!

…

**Based on Chapter 12, when Jaune reveals they're going to get Emerald her own weapon. Yeesh, you have no idea how hard it was to describe the chain function without using "kusarigama" or "ninja" because I didn't think Emerald would know what either of those were!**


	6. To the Dentist

**This story is based on Coeur Al'Aran's **_**Relic of the Future.**_** This message may get a bit tiring every chapter, especially since it's in the summary, but seriously, it's a great fic, and Coeur is a great author.**

…

They were going to something called a "dentist." Emerald didn't really know what that meant, but Jaune said she needed to go, so she followed without complaint. As it turned out, a "dentist" was a type of doctor that worked on her mouth.

It was a very _evil _person.

Emerald was lying on the chair, trying her best not to squirm as the hooks and needles scraped across her teeth. Jaune was standing off to the side, out of the way but still providing silent support with a carefully expressionless face.

Sometimes, living with him sucked.

Then the dentist took some wire out and started routing it through her teeth. A stinging pain shot through her mouth and Emerald failed to hide her wince.

"Yeah," The dentist said amiably as he let her take a breather. Emerald was shocked to see red on his formerly pristine white gloves, "There's going to be a bit of discomfort in your gums. I presume you've never flossed before?"

"She has not." Jaune answered as Emerald glared at the bloody gloves. The girl was stubbornly keeping silent.

"You'll need to start brushing daily to avoid this. And flossing, too. Luckily, while there's a lot of plaque that'll need to be removed, it seems you don't have any cavities just yet." The dentist rattled off a bunch off dentist stuff that Emerald kind of tuned out. Instead she focused on fighting the instinct to bite down on the hands in her mouth.

That would have upset Jaune.

But the absolute worst part, Emerald decided, was when the dentist finished. Emerald stood up when she was allowed. She tongued her gums, feeling out the puffiness, as Jaune and the dentist talked about having another visit in six months.

She wasn't looking forward to that.

But _then_ the dentist said the words that absolutely _ruined _her day.

"And remember to be careful about the sweets today."

She _hated _the dentist.

…

**Based on Chapter 20. Emerald really likes sweets, and on a day out she drags Jaune to three different diners, only to eat sweets and no actual meal. Jaune thinks to himself that she'll need to go to a dentist soon, and then he'd have his revenge.**


	7. Partner Up

**Sorry, it's been a while. I've barely written **_**anything **_**non-academic since my last update. I've just been in a bit of a funk. Luckily, I think I'm over it. Spring break is next week, too. We'll see how things go.**

**Anyway, psyched for this week's chapter of Coeur Al'Aran's **_**Relic of the Future**_**? I know I am. Last chapter was kind of short (with good reason, according to his note!) And then he had to skip a week for reasons. This week should be the next update though, and I'm stoked.**

**As always, this fic is a series of shorts based on **_**Relic of the Future.**_** I'm sure you all know that by now, so I'll just say, "Read it please," and move on.**

…

Emerald Ashari had worked so hard to convince her dad to let her attend Beacon Academy with her friends. Blood, sweat, and tears had been poured into her training to satisfy Jaune and show him she could handle anything Beacon would throw at her. Now she was at Beacon, ready to step up her training as a Huntress, so she could fight alongside her dad and protect him from Salem.

If only there weren't so many people.

She had never felt comfortable in crowds, and though her emotional development had really taken a turn for the better after being taken in by Jaune, Emerald still felt out of place in social situations – especially ones as daunting as meeting a bunch of strangers all at once.

She could only hope she was put on Yang's team.

There _were _a few more noteworthy contenders, though, in case she couldn't select her own team.

Sun _was _a possibility, she supposed. He was there, too. And Emerald knew he was capable in a fight. His erratic fighting style and propensity for unorthodox tactics reminded her somewhat of her father, and his eyes and hair were similar enough as well; not to mention his abs – no, bad Emerald.

And the grumpy-looking redhead boy – Adam, he'd said his name was – seemed really strong. He also wasn't that bad to look at. Emerald shook her head, trying to keep _those _thoughts out of her head. Ever since Dad and Aunt Summer had talked to her a couple years ago… She grimaced.

It might've been nice to be on a team with Weiss, because Emerald got along with her well enough. If only she had come to Beacon and not Atlas. But then, thoughts of Whitley emerged unbidden in Emerald's mind, and she didn't know if she could bear teaming up with his sister.

Emerald went to sleep in a large, open hall that evening, still contemplating various teammate choices. It didn't help that all throughout the day she kept hearing rumors about how teammates would be random.

The next day confirmed it, when Emerald stood amongst all other prospective students on the cliffs of Beacon.

"It is important you partner with someone with whom you work well." The odd headmaster said that morning, "That said, the first person with whom you make eye contact will be your partner for the next four years."

He was insane, Emerald decided. No wonder Dad was hesitant to work with him.

Mere seconds later the girl found herself falling towards the forest canopy. All the surrounding noise was washed away in the wake of roaring winds. Bringing out one of her pistols, Emerald slung her arm forward. The blade detached and careened toward a sturdy-looking branch, taking its chain along with it.

Emerald felt her aura lock into place as the momentum tore at her arm, and suddenly her linear velocity shifted, and her new angular trajectory sent her into a much more manageable descent. Tucking and rolling just as Jaune taught her years ago, Emerald seamlessly retracted the chain and practically leapt to her feet in a sprint, intent on finding Yang – or at least someone as she knew she could deal with.

Her plan didn't last five seconds before someone crashed into her in a way that much reminded her of Ruby Rose at her most excited.

She heard a decidedly masculine voice groaning on top of her, and Emerald twitched as the guttural sound and consequent vibrating torso made her own chest feel uncomfortably warm.

"Sorry," the voice said unapologetically even as he stood from their prone position. In a single beat, a firm arm had grabbed Emerald's own and pulled her to a standing position.

From her new vantage point, Emerald could clearly see the _tall _boy with silver-grey hair and equally grey eyes. His whole outfit screamed _dull._ It was simple and black and grey and had no panache whatsoever, unlike her own exotic style and why couldn't she focus on anything other than –

He wasn't even carrying any weapons. Who _was _this guy?

As if the boy could read Emerald's mind, he smirked at her, saying, "Well, well, hello, Beautiful. I guess this makes us partners. I'm Mercury Black."

_Another_ flirt in her life? This year was going to _suck_.

…

**Remember that moment in chapter 35 where Jaune is like, "I'm not going be an overprotective dad about Emerald. She can date whoever. Except Mercury."**

**Think that might have been foreshadowing?**


	8. Crushing Yang

**How about that new Chapter 52, eh? As always, Coeur Al'Aran is a stellar author, and the latest chapter of his **_**Relic of the Future **_**(the story on which I based **_**The Ashari Files, **_**in case you somehow missed that) shows that.**

**The fight between Yang and Pyrrha was **_**very **_**satisfying. So I'm gonna continue the moment a bit.**

…

Viewers from all over Mistral stared down at the arena, the klaxons blaring distantly in their ears and signifying the end of the final fight.

Pyrrha had won, even after denying herself a huge advantage.

Pyrrha Nikos, Aura: 17%

Yang Xiao Long, Aura: 13%

It had been a brutal fight. But Yang wasn't entirely focused on that. Pyrrha had tackled her in the last seconds of the fight; the redhead's numb left arm hanging by Yang's head, her right arm poised for another strike. Yang's own fist was on her gauntlet's trigger, ready to blast Pyrrha away.

But they had been interrupted by the ending signal. The fight was over.

Still enervated by epinephrine, Yang stared blankly at the beaming girl above her. Her arm fell lazily to her side, and she found herself saying – distantly to her own ears – "Good match."

To the blonde's amazement, that smile only grew brighter. They were both shaking – Exhaustion? Exhilaration? Endorphins? Maybe a mixture of the three – and beaming at each other, the muted sounds of the crowd falling away.

"Yes." Pyrrha replied, sounding as breathless as Yang felt, "Yes, it was."

An air of understanding surrounded the two as they held the other's gaze. A tentative comradery born in the heat of combat, unburdened by malintent or ulterior motive.

Or at least, that's how Yang felt as she watched Pyrrha's face in the dying moments of her adrenaline high.

Red hair was slowly loosening from the champion's ponytail, falling around her face and framing her startling green eyes. Sweat was slowly dripping down her creamy face, and every few moments a drop would fall around Yang.

Pyrrha's chest was still heaving, drawing Yang's attention to her bare shoulders – and the fact that she didn't appear to have a shirt on under her armor.

Suddenly, Yang's face felt hot from more than just exertion. Her eyes unfocused as Pyrrha rose from their position on the ground, and Yang found herself zoning out from the next series of events.

It wasn't until Yang found herself in front of Jaune Ashari that she tuned into events again.

She had lost. "Sorry…"

"You did well."

A gloved hand came up to tussle her sweat-matted head. Instinctively, Yang pulled away and tried to fix her mane. She tried to ignore her messy post-fight appearance and shift her locks into place.

A thought came into her head, unbidden, of Pyrrha as Yang ran her finger through the knots.

"Oh."

She had a crush. Well, that was a thing.

…

**Okay so, obviously this is based on the latest chapter, #52. Yang vs Pyrrha. A brilliant fight with a brilliant end and an excellent conduit for true love to blossom.**


	9. Fairy Boy's Fair Maiden

**The latest chapter (chapter 54) of Coeur Al'Aran's **_**Relic of the Future **_**was short this week (I hope his dog gets better) but sweet. As usual, this fic is a spin-off of his work – go read it if you haven't, reread it otherwise. It's great.**

**Anyway, enjoy the new installment of **_**The Ashari Files**_**.**

…

Jaune Arc stepped out of Raven's portal, into the courtyard of Beacon. He very much appreciated not having to take a bullhead – his fairy godmother's magic powers were useful in that way.

His arm fell to his hip, where his family sword and shield were, and he began moving toward the main tower, all too aware of the other prospective students milling about him.

According to Raven, he'd need to beat them in some form of initiation. It could be a crude tournament, it could be some sort of race, or it could be a survival test of some kind. Headmaster Ozpin was unpredictable like that.

So, steeling his nerves, the blonde boy strode onward. He was afraid, of course, of the unknown challenges he'd have to face. He was afraid of being caught with his faked transcripts – Raven's magic hadn't covered his admittance. He was afraid of being kicked out of school before his career could begin.

Jaune was afraid of failing. That's what drove him forward.

He was also a little bit afraid of the pretty, menacing, young woman that was quickly approaching him. She was tan, with short brown hair. Her eyes were like ice in both color and demeanor. At her hips lay two circular blade things – Jaune didn't know what they were called – that looked like they were also guns.

Everything was also a gun these days. Jaune contemplated his own weapon. It was a family heirloom. It was also not a gun.

"What was that?" The girl asked, interrupting Jaune's internal monologue.

"What was what?"

"Don't play dumb." Her stare narrowed, and Jaune felt even more intimidated.

"I'm not playing." Wait, that probably wasn't the best reply. What if _this _was the girl he was supposed to fall in love with? He needed to start making better first impressions on people.

"That portal?"

"Oh, right." Portals weren't exactly normal, he supposed. Not everyone had a fairy godmother. Come to think of it, Raven had even specifically requested he keep the fairy thing secret – she didn't want anyone knowing he was trained by a member of the winter court, lest he be hunted.

It made sense. He was afraid of being hunted. "That was, uh," What had Raven told him to say? That it was, "That was a semblance. A friend of mine can make portals."

She stared hard at him, and Jaune felt his face heating up at her intensity. Come to think of it, was this small talk? Did this count? Small talk was something people did to get to know each other, right? Did she want to get to know him? Was that why she was here? Because she was interested?

"Are you the girl I'm going to love one day?"

He _really _needed to learn to control his words better.

…

Vernal supposed this boy looked kind of like Mr. Xiao Long did, so it sort of made sense that Raven would associate with him – though he did seem rather young.

But she recognized that semblance, it was _definitely _Raven's, so this kid wasn't lying.

"Are you the girl I'm going to love one day?"

Wait. _What?_ What was he on about?

"Excuse me?"

The boy's face ignited, and Vernal would've scoffed at how awkward he was if she wasn't so bewildered at his words.

"Sorry," His reply was sheepish, and his arm rose to the back of his head. The gesture seemed familiar to her. Maybe this kid was more like Mr. Xiao Long than she realized? She wasn't quite sure. He continued as she mused on him, "My- uh, my friend saw the future once. She said I'd meet the girl I love at Beacon. So, when you came over asking about her—I, uh."

Wait. Wait-wait-wait. Vernal balked, eyes going wide as she stared at the blonde boy. Raven said _that?_

Could Raven see the future? Well, Vernal supposed it didn't matter. This boy did look kind of cute. And familiar, too. Heat pooled across her face and chest. Had Raven told this boy that because she knew Vernal was going to Beacon.

It didn't _seem _like Raven. But Raven was always unpredictable in her own way. And for the last couple of years, something had changed with the woman. That much was obvious even to Vernal, who didn't see her as often anymore.

But still, talking about _love?_ Did this say anything about Raven and Jaune Ashari? She wasn't sure.

Vernal stared at his face, unblemished, unscarred. He looked weak. Or possibly strong enough to not be wounded. She wasn't sure of that either.

She wasn't sure of a lot of things. But one thing _was _sure.

Raven had a blonde. Mrs. Rose had a blonde. Even Emerald Ashari had a blonde.

Now Vernal would have a blonde, too.

"That could be me; I'm Vernal."

…

**Based on chapter 54, namely Raven and Jaune Arc's conversation. Also, I kinda feel that, over the years, Vernal will grow to be more polite (relatively), considering how she was in RWBY. With Jaune actually giving her (longsuffering) attention, I feel she will mellow out, right?**


	10. Meet the Fairies

**What's this? Two chapters in a week? Elby, you sly dog.**

_**The Ashari Files**_** is based on Coeur Al'Aran's **_**Relic of the Future. His fic is a phenomenal read, in my humble opinion.**_

…

It had happened one night while Ruby and Yang were sound asleep. It had been one of the rare occasions Qrow was able to sit down with them and relax. They were reminiscing on the past, back when they still had the 'R' in Team STRQ.

Then that very same 'R' showed up.

Summer Rose, Taiyang Xiao Long, and Qrow Branwen were seated on the couch and enjoying the company when they saw the black and red tear in space-time open in the Xiao Long den. Seeing Raven Branwen, who hasn't talked to them in _years_, suddenly waltz into the same room was shocking to say the least.

Seeing a small blonde boy of around Yang's age stagger in after her was downright dumbfounding.

Raven glanced to them briefly, before looking down at the boy.

"We, um," She brought her fist to her mouth and coughed, "We need to talk. I suppose."

"Yeah, no kidding!" It was Taiyang who spoke up, but Raven didn't look at him, "It's been _how long_? And you just appear in our living room one random night? A _school night, _no less?"

"Jaune Arc," Raven said, belaying any reply, "Meet my friends. They are also, uh, fae."

As the other three adults gaped, the small boy gasped before hurriedly bowing to them.

"My name is Jaune Arc. It is an honor to meet you. I know your kind don't normally meet humans so blatantly."

"Yeah, sure," Raven answered blandly. She gestured to everyone, "So, uh, say 'hi' to my apprentice, everyone?"

"Apprentice? You?"

"What the hell, Raven?"

"Hello, I'm Summer."

Young Jaune looked up, finally standing from his bowed position, "Hello, Miss Summer. And hello to you as well, sirs. Raven has told me so much about you!

"I've also done some research of my own, so forgive me for being so bold, but it _truly _is an honor," Jaune continued, stepping in front of Summer. None of the adults knew how to progress, so they just watched the strange boy. "To meet the Queen of the Summer Court, Lady Titania." He bowed again.

Summer stared long and hard at the young boy, who started trembling in place.

Jaune, flinching, quickly added, "Sorry, Your Majesty. You introduced yourself as Summer, correct? I completely understand not wanting to allow a human your true name. I apologize for being so presumptuous."

As Summer continued to gape at the boy, Qrow changed his sights to his sister. The smug woman was smirking at Summer, clearly enjoying the eccentricity of the situation.

"_Anyway,_" Raven huffed, "We all know that the world is changing. War is brewing and I," Raven's eyes darted briefly to Jaune, "I'm absolutely terrified of what's going to happen." She ignored the incredulous stares of her former—of her team. "So, I'd like your help training Jaune here to be strong enough for it. And—" She grimaced, staring into the faces of the friends she had left so long ago, "—And I would like to be a part of Team STRQ again."

Because with them, Raven felt she had nothing to fear.

…

**Yeah, I think this one is pretty self-explanatory. I didn't mean for it to get a little heavy at the end, but… Yeah.**


	11. Magical Destiny Child

**I cannot tell you enough how much I love Coeur Al'Aran's **_**Relic of the Future.**_** I will never tire of it, I swear.**

**So, this chapter will actually be composed of **_**two **_**shorts. Weird, right? But I was feeling inspired and the two kind of connect, so… Yeah.**

…

Qrow Branwen would never say as much out loud but watching Jaune Ashari nap in one chair on the flight back, with his daughter Emerald sitting right next to him, _also _napping in a very similar position – it was adorable. Almost too adorable to let Yang draw on their faces. Almost.

Too bad the moment was ruined with a sudden lurch when a very familiar portal opened up in front of him. He immediately tensed, wondering about the sequence of events that would lead to his sister showing up while the rest of team STRQ – and their kids – were crowded like this.

It must've been bad.

But Raven Branwen did not appear through the portal. In her place, three kids did. The first was a young boy with dark hair, a single pink streak could be seen in the front, and he stumbled forward suddenly. A girl followed suit, staggering hurriedly through the portal, her bright orange hair matted and dirty against her head. The final child, however, was another boy who looked eerily familiar, though he couldn't quite place why.

Something about his blonde hair and the way he had been tossed like a ragdoll through Raven's semblance just seemed surreally familiar. And the way he crumpled down on top of the other boy – what?

And then the portal just disappeared? Was Raven really just dumping three kids on them?

"Ren, are you okay?" The blonde helped the other boy up, and the three newcomers stepped back, away from the small group of people that had suddenly been crowding them.

Ashari slipped his sleeping mask off his head as he stretched his arms. He stared at the young children with no small degree of incredulity, and Qrow was about to ask what happened when –

"Ren? Nora? Jaune!?"

"How do you know our names?"

Well, things – Qrow looked to his scroll, which was ringing with Ozpin's number – things had just gotten pretty weird. But when _weren't_ things weird around Ashari?

…

"I think this might be my origin story, Jaune said, looking at his two new friends. "I mean, my fairy godmother brought me on my first mission, which was nearly a failure. I met my new best friend—" the blonde gestured to Ren, who quirked an eyebrow, "—and the love of my life—" Nora protested with a red face, "—and I met the rest of the winter court of fae."

Jaune ignored the skeptical looks his two new friends wore. At least Nora looked like she might play along with parts of it.

"Wait, what if all this happened because of some prophecy?!" Jaune gasped, "They _did _know my name! What if I'm some chosen one, and those bad guys wanted to kill me to I couldn't grow strong enough to defeat their evil plans!?" He began pacing around them, "Come to think of it, that other lady was using magic just like Raven's. And she was trying to spare us, trying not to take our lives if she didn't have to!"

Ren looked uneasily at the hysterical boy, "You're not suggesting they're the _good _guys, are you?"

"No! But, considering the rivalry they had with Raven, I'm almost certain that we met some fairies of the summer court!"

"The wha-?"

"The summer court is the inverse of the winter court, and they don't get along. It's possible that the summer court has been encroaching on the winter fae domain – and that I'm the chosen one that's prophecied to help the save the winter court, because if they fall then Remnant will fall out of balance and the world will descend into chaos! _And _all that negativity would affect our world two, since the world of humans and faunus and fae are so closely interwoven! Plus, the grimm would no doubt thrive on the resulting negativity and start growing stronger! Which means the fate of the world depends on my being able to save my fairy godmother from her attackers!" Jaune was near hyperventilating now.

So, Ren tried to calm him down, "That- that seems unlikely."

"But so _awesome!_" Ren flinched at Nora's exclamation, "A real life _magical destiny!_"

"Nora, no."

"But Ren, he _saved _us! That's got to mean something, right?"

"I-"

"Don't worry." Jaune had calmed down by then, "I'll definitely protect you, because I'm to scared of losing you."

"Yeah!" Nora shouted in response, and Ren sighed, deciding he'd just tag along and try to tone down the trouble they'd no doubt get into. He side-eyed Nora as the excitable girl carried on, chanting, "Fearful leader Jaune! Fearful leader Jaune!"

…

**Both of these are based on Chapter 56, as it was given to us on this glorious Saturday.**


	12. Silver Linings

**Yeesh. Three weeks, huh? Sorry I took so long, but stuff happens, you know?**

**Coeur Al'Aran's **_**Relic of the Future **_**is still as good a fic as ever, though. And we've had some good chapters these last three weeks that have led to some good inspiration, and I regret not writing sooner.**

**But I'm sure you don't care about all that, so I'll get down to it…**

…

Jaune Ashari looked at his daughter Emerald, who fidgeted under his eye, one bright afternoon. She was wondering why he called her into his study, and his silence was worrying her, he noted. But what Jaune was about to say was not easy for him.

The blonde man sighed, thinking about his latest conversation with Ozpin. The man had explained his reasons effectively for why Emerald needed to be enrolled into Beacon. Ozpin even went so far as to trust him with the knowledge of the maidens – not knowing Jaune already had that knowledge, of course.

It was one thing being told they found a maiden – and her two friends – but it was another thing entirely hearing that Emerald needed to attend with them as their teammate.

The only consolation Jaune found was that Ozpin thought _Nora _of all people to be the Spring Maiden. Which brought another blessing to Jaune's attention: Ren and Nora were okay. Along with whoever the third friend was.

Raven had warped in and rescued the two children behind his back. He did not know what to think of that, but he figured he would have to talk to Raven about that soon anyway.

But, back to the matter at hand, Raven had allowed Ozpin to bring the 'maiden' under his thumb, with the express condition that she be put on a team with Emerald.

Jaune Ashari had not been planning on allowing Emerald to attend Beacon. He had grown to care for her over the years and knowing what would happen at Beacon made the academy a dreaded place in his mind.

Not that he could explain any of that to Ozpin _or _Emerald. But more than that, he needed Ren and Nora at Beacon so that they could meet and befriend his younger counterpart.

Ashari sighed again, realizing all of his introspection would not fix anything, and Emerald was still standing before him, waiting patiently to hear whatever he said.

So, he said, "I'll allow you to attend Beacon, if you want."

The suddenness of his claim threw Emerald off-kilter, Jaune knew. He could easily see the moment her furrowed brow laxed and the smile emerged on her lip. At least she would be happy. He knew he would only feel stress about the situation.

"But," He continued, careful not to ruin the budding elation in his daughter's spirit, "There are a couple conditions. One: your team has already been decided."

"Oh, okay." He could feel the cautious hope that it would be one of her friends, and he could feel the confidence that she would perform well regardless, and he could feel the curiosity begging to know their names.

"I'm afraid it won't be Yang, or anyone else from the gym right now." He ran a hand through his messy hair, "Though, the candidates _will _be attending the gym now, from what I understand." Ren, Nora, and a mysterious third friend. He only hoped it wasn't Mercury, but fate wasn't that kind.

The disappointment in his daughter's eyes was quickly overshadowed by determination, and Jaune found he hated how necessary her devotion was.

"Two: I want you to report back to me discretely." He knew this one wouldn't be a problem for her. "I don't need to know everything, just some general info about your teammates and assignments. I want to stay updated. And I'll find excuses to visit sometimes." Her smile and nod were more comforting than he expected.

"Three:" He looked her in the eye as he continued, "And this might be the most important one, you and your team _will not _compete in the Vytal festival tournament, alright?"

He watched the comprehension dawn in her eyes, and he knew she was thinking back to _that _tournament, in Atlas years ago. That was only part of his worries, but she was right to remember it. He only hoped he could keep her safe through the chaos. And, perhaps, her team, if she was lucky enough to become friends with them.

"Fourth: and finally, try to make friends with your team, alright? After all," he smiled trying to reassure her, "You'll be stuck with them."

He put his arm on her shoulder, "Now come on, let's go meet your future teammates."

The family proceeded to the gym, and Jaune watched with a heavy heart how Emerald prepared herself, knowing how important it would be to get along with them. As they walked in to meet the members and newcomers, Emerald continued to psych herself up to be friendly, and Jaune focused on the three kids by Ozpin's side. Ren and Nora were there, of course. The two had always been inseparable, so if Nora was there, of course Ren would be.

However, seeing his younger counterpart there by their side, analyzing the full members and holding a familiar katana over his shoulder, Jaune Ashari wasn't sure what to feel.

…

**Based on chapter 59, where we find out from Qrow retroactively how Raven agreed to let her new wards train at Beacon, given some provisions. Qrow's semblance might be bad luck, but Jaune is still fate's chew toy.**


	13. The Kids Meet

**Couer Al'Aran is a great writer and a blessing to the FNDM. His story **_**Relic of the Future **_**is a treasure and my favorite fic. Hence this spin-off I wrote about it, **_**The Ashari Files.**_

…

Jaune Ashari looked at his daughter and guests. Emerald Ashari was sitting by him, on a chair. His guests, Raven Branwen and Jaune Arc – his younger counterpart – were seated beside each other on the couch.

"So, Jaune said, "You two are going to be partners at Beacon, I do hope you can get along and become friends."

Raven smirked as she leaned over to her apprentice – that fact still had Jaune Ashari reeling – to whisper in his ear, "He knows about me, don't worry. These two can be trusted."

Jaune Arc lit up, and Jaune Ashari worried about the influence Raven held over him. It was obvious the two were close.

The comprehension on Jaune Arc's face was another worry for Ashari. He knew himself very well, and he knew that look – is was his Eureka Look. And knowing him at that age, whatever he had 'eureka'd over was certainly wrong.

"So you're the girl from Raven's vision!"

Yeah, Ashari figured that sounded about right. Emerald looked to him, wordlessly asking for answers he could not give. Fortunately – or unfortunately, given the circumstances – Raven was there.

"Yes, this girl is the girl you fall in love with. You should be good to her." Her smug grin was the last thing Ashari saw before she disappeared to the kitchen, leaving him with the kids.

Emerald looked skeptical, but Jaune Arc continued, "My name is Jaune Arc! Short, sweet, rolls off the tongue! Ladies love it!" Ashari cringed, had he _really _been that bad? Yes, he had. He prayed Arc didn't pull out his guitar. "A couple of years ago, Raven had a vision of my future at Beacon." Ashari's memories, he realized, "And told me about how I'd fall in love with my teammate. I thought it was Nora, but you're pretty, too."

Jaune Ashari wanted to stop the train wreck before it happened, but he couldn't think of a proper way to derail the conversation. It would be disastrous for his younger self when Emerald –

"Oh, cool."

– Accepted his affections, apparently. What? She knew Arc was him from another timeline, why was she-?

Right, because she knew Arc was him from another timeline. He _knew_ her idolized obsession would bite him in the bottom some day.

…

**Based on several factors from recent chapters and the idea that Jaune Ashari will eventually tell Emerald about the whole time travel thing.**


	14. A New Dress

**Hey, want to read an awesome fic? Try Coeur Al'Aran's **_**Relic of the Future. **_**Of course, if you're here, you've probably read it. In that case, tell your friends about **_**Relic of the Future, **_**then once they have read it, tell them about this spin-off **_**The Ashari Files.**_

…

Emerald Ashari was a growing girl. She was still amazed by how much she had grown since being picked up by Jaune. She had things now! Things like her own room and a soft bed and three full meals a day.

Things that helped her grow noticeably in height and girth. Most of the time, she adored this fact, because being big and strong meant she was useful to Jaune. But growing up came with its own drawbacks as well; one of which was that Emerald's clothes did not grow with her.

Mostly, Jaune was quick to get her new clothes when she needed them, but one article of clothing she didn't _need._ Thus, she was hesitant to ask to replace it when she outgrew the garment.

She balled up the offending fabric, holding it tightly in her arms, and went to find Jaune.

This was hardly different from getting her a cake, right? It should be _more_ reasonable, even, since clothes could be used more than once.

Jaune was in the kitchen, eating from a bowl. The man looked up when he heard footsteps and saw Emerald approach him. She was holding a creamy white material behind her back and biting her lip.

"What's that you got, Emerald?" He asked, setting his food on the table and turning toward the girl.

Gently, Emerald brought the fabric forward to show him. The material unfurled to reveal a fluffy dressing gown. "It's too small." She said simply, her eyes pleading.

"Oh," Jaune blinked, "Then how about you let me finish my lunch and we'll head out to get a new one, okay?"

Her beaming smile was answer enough, he decided as she ran to put the old dress away. It looked like they were going shopping today.

…

**Based on Chapter 10. Emerald has a cream-colored gown that she likes to just wear.**


	15. Guess Who's Back Again

**Coeur Al'Aran is a phenomenal author who wrote a fic titled **_**Relic of the Future. The Ashari Files **_**is based on that excellent read. This chapter uses a direct excerpt from **_**Relic of the Future**_**.**

…

"This isn't how it was supposed to end." The words fell breathlessly upon the wind, Emerald Ashari's voice failing to carry.

Salem, the dastardly witch, heard her anyway, "Then how was it? You would come here and slay the monster, only to run off with the boy into the sunset? Was that your plan?"

No, Emerald mused, it had been Dad's plan. She merely followed, and she would've kept following, had he not fallen.

"You know, child, it could still be different…"

Her head snapped up, her eyes hardening into a fierce glare.

Salem continued, "There is still a chance for you to save your friends. To save your _father_."

As Salem wove her tale about time-travel, Emerald couldn't help but listen. A body in the past so similar to her own. A chance, a shot in the dark to save the world she once held no fondness for.

"Why should I trust you?"

"Because," the witch replied with her devil tongue, "You have nothing more to lose."

…

"Ugh, my head…"

It wasn't Emerald's voice that spoke. It was male, and familiar, and sounded as pained as Emerald felt.

"Did it work?" The huntress heard something shift in the dirt near her, "What hit me?"

She herself sat up when she heard that, and she opened her eyes to the harsh wasteland sunlight.

She found herself staring at Jaune Arc, her teammate.

"Emerald? What are- did Salem…?" In a moment, the man was up and standing, a sword and shield picked from the ground beside him and levelled toward her. "What are you doing here?" His hard glare was too unnerving.

She slowly raised her hands as he stood at his full height above her, her eyes taking in the sight. Now that she got a good look, she realized his armor was different – more ornate.

"Am I really back in time then?" Jaune shook his head, breaking Emerald from her reverie.

"Wait," She said, "You went back, too?" He watched silently as she too stood, "But you were dead."

"What?"

"What?"

The two stared at each other.

…

It was awkward at first, when they began travelling together. They travelled far, too. Far enough to encounter a mostly dead Summer Rose in the desert. Far enough to encounter a familiar pickpocket in Vale. Far enough to encounter her other teammates in Kuroyuri and the Bloody Fairy at her camp.

They even travelled far enough to reach Vale.

Amazingly, Emerald discovered she was rather oblivious, as she hadn't noticed anything was off until she and Jaune met a ratty street urchin who tried to pickpocket them. The poor girl was so skinny that they could see her bones, and her dirty hair looked reminiscent of vomit.

It wasn't until that same rat led the pair to King's office that she realized she hadn't been travelling with her teammate, but her father.

It explained a lot, actually.

…

**So, I had this thought. What if, when **_**Relic **_**is over and the good guys lose again, Emerald made her deal with the devil and went back to the same timeline that Jaune did, for a cool overlapping thing.**

**Another thought entertained the idea that another, older Jaune went back **_**again**_**, in a loop similar to NTF, except he kept getting older every loop.**

**I may do a chapter on that at some point.**


	16. I Love You

_**The Ashari Files **_**is a recursive fanfiction based on **_**Relic of the Future. **_**And boy did Coeur give us a good chapter of **_**Relic **_**today, huh? Aw man, it was so amazing, that I got inspired for **_**this **_**little ditty only part way through! Emerald's Hospital Scene, revisited!**

"So," Emerald said the next time Yang came to visit her in the hospital, "Yang?"

"Yeah?"

"Do, uh," Emerald looked toward her feet, her fingers idly twisting together where they rested on her bandaged abdomen, "Do you want to have sex with me, then?"

The blonde balked, "Uh, what?"

"I'm asking you if you want to have sex."

Yang's purple eyes blinked once. Emerald's red ones followed suit.

"Excuse me?" The blonde asked, incredulity seeping into her voice, "Uh, did you take too many pain killers or something?"

"No. But you said you loved me. That's what people—"

Hastily throwing her arms forward and aiming her red face down, Yang exclaimed, "No! That's not what I meant!"

"Huh?"

"I mean—I love you, but not like _that_!" A hysterical giggle fell from Yang's mouth as her wide eyes stayed locked on the ground. "Different kind of love, Em."

"… oh, is that why you called me 'Mom' when I woke up?"

"I didn't call you Mom!" Yang glanced up to give her a glare, but Emerald looked honestly confused.

Yang could not believe that girl, sometimes.

…

**I want more of my awkward psycho-baby. Every scene with Emerald is a blessing, tbh. So yeah, this is based on Emerald's hospital scene from chapter 69 (heh). It's been established that Emerald is woefully unexperienced with love and what it means, so uh… Yeah.**


	17. Two-Sided Talk

**So how about Chapter 73? **_**Relic of the Future **_**is good every week, of course, but **_**wow.**_** A proposal? Coeur Al'Aran really did it this week. Anyway, this week's installment of **_**The Ashari Files **_**is actually relevant.**

…

"My father would like to tie the Schnee and Ashari families together." Winter Schnee paused, looking at Jaune Ashari expectantly.

The blonde huntsman gaped at her, the dawning realization coming slowly to his fettered mind.

"Tie together – wait!" He interrupted the lady right as she opened her mouth to continue, "You can't mean…" The gears were turning slowly but surely, and his brain was steadily putting the pieces together.

The faintest tinge of pink faded onto Winter's face and her lips curled ever so slightly as she angled her head up to gaze at him, her crystal blue eyes meeting his own oceanic ones.

"You do?" Jaune inflected shakily. In his mind, there was no way it would work out. The answer would be obvious. "But what'll he do when—" He gestured vaguely behind him, where the hall lead further into his home.

Winter's smile grew, warming her face by the merest degree, "Well, it _was _his idea. I think he'll be fine."

"This could end horribly, you know." Jaune frowned.

"I don't think it will."

"Then I don't think you've thought this through all the way."

Then Winter mirrored him, her own frown worse on her stern face, "I think I've thought it through plenty."

"There's no way Emerald will agree, Winter." The blonde's voice climbed almost to hysterics.

"You're the one who needs to agree, not her."

"I disagree." His face hardened at her, catching the specialist by surprise, "This is a pretty big decision and her opinion matters greatly in the matter."

"I know you cherish her opinion," She replied, ever calm, as she placed her hand on his arm, "But ultimately, it's up to you to decide whether to go through with it."

"Well, you should know that _ultimately," _He spat the word with a mocking tone, "I'll agree with whatever _she _decides."

"I think you're being short-sighted."

"And _I _think you're being unjust!" As his voice raised, so did his arms in an incredulous shrug, "I'm not going to marry her off if she doesn't want to! That's archaic!"

"_I'm _being – wait, what?" Winter blinked, her own scorn replaced momentarily by bewilderment.

Jaune crossed his arms over his chest and stared hard at the woman before him. "You're asking me to marry Emerald without regard to her opinion. I think that's rather unjust."

"What!? I'm _not _asking you to marry Emerald! I'm asking you to marry _me!"_

…

**This chapter is based on Chapter 73, the Proposal scene, obviously. I thought it would be funny if Jaune thought Winter was suggesting a marriage between Whitley and Emerald.**


	18. Brother from Another Unintended Pickup

**Hello and welcome to another installment of **_**The Ashari Files. **_**A spin-off of Coeur Al'Aran's wonderful fanfiction **_**Relic of the Future.**_

**Also, this is the first chapter of any of my fics to have been proofread by someone who's not me. So… Woot.**

…

Jaune Ashari stood stock still staring at the young boy before him. The young boy whose father he had just murdered. The boy who, by all accounts, should've added his name to the list of people who wanted revenge against Jaune Ashari. The boy who was staring at him with nothing more than honest curiosity.

The young boy named Mercury Black.

Jaune had been tasked with the elimination of an assassin named Marcus Black, and he hadn't put two and two together yet. Black was a common enough surname that the odds of it being _that _Black were cosmically low.

Jaune should have known that however low the odds were, fate was still working against him. And yet, he still took the assignment.

"So, what now?" the young Mercury asked, "Are you going to kill me, too?"

Jaune balked. Killing the boy would be easy enough and would probably make his life easier later on. But, of course, Jaune ran into the same moral wall that stopped him from killing Emerald years ago.

Mercury hadn't done anything wrong yet.

"Uh, no." Jaune said, pinning a smile to his face and trying to remember what he'd done when he met Emerald – and Sun, for that matter – "So," the man stammered at last, "Do you like ice cream?"

That was how Jaune found himself in a parlor not five minutes later with young Mercury Black, who was no older than twelve years.

"If you aren't going to kill me," Mercury asked around his mouthful of rocky road, "What _are _you going to do with me?"

"Well…"

…

"Emerald, meet your new brother." Jaune smiled later, bracing himself for a _long _conversation.

…

**Heh. I gotta say, I think something like this would have been neat. As time goes forward, I find myself more and more eager to meet Mercury in **_**Relic.**_** What's he going to be like? The same? Or unerringly different just like everything else Jaune thought he knew.**

**Bonus Round:**

**Sun: **What? You adopted _another _kid? Why didn't you adopt me!?

**Jaune: **I didn't think about it!

**Nora: **Why didn't you adopt _us?! _Is it because you didn't kill people in front of us first?

**Ren: **That _does _seem to be a pattern.

**Jaune: **Please don't go saying that.


	19. The Mind behind the Curtain

**Coeur Al'Aran wrote an amazing fic called **_**Relic of the Future**_** and I love it, so I sought permission to write this spin-off **_**The Ashari Files.**_

…

Jaune Ashari was a riddle wrapped in a mystery inside an enigma, Ozpin noted while sipping his coffee. In all his years of life – in all his many lives – he couldn't think of any individual quite so complex.

The riddle had been his initial reaction back when they first met in Atlas. Ozpin had grown accustomed in his age to witnesses portraying some amount of awe when they met him. Jaune had seemed unsure, overly cautious, and perhaps even _worried,_ but never awed.

How very curious.

The mystery had been the man's name. Ashari. That name, worn by a people long forgotten by time. Logically, Ozpin supposed that the surname could have easily lasted throughout the ages; the Del'Ashari tribe in Vacuo was proof enough of that. But facts didn't always add up in logical ways.

How very, very curious.

The enigma had been Jaune's knowledge of Salem. Anyone having knowledge of Salem without interacting with Ozpin or Salem herself was quite peculiar indeed. In fact, Jaune's general knowledge was far too broad as well. Only a veteran of far greater age should have such knowledge. Jaune had been no older than twenty when they met back in Atlas.

How very, very, _very _curious.

The headmaster took another sip of coffee, letting his eyes take in the distance sight of Vale from his office window as he quietly contemplated his strange ally. It wasn't often he had to place trust in someone he didn't know extraordinarily well. And there was no amount of well he didn't know more than he didn't know Jaune Ashari.

Ozpin blinked.

Then again, his name could perhaps be a greater clue than Ozpin realized. The similarities to the Arc family were certainly there, and the lack of history before Ashari's work as a specialist could be rather telling.

Headmasters Ozpin and Ironwood had both theorized that the name Jaune Ashari was a contrived one. James had been wary at first, but willing to cooperate once Jaune proved himself both capable and commendable. The man had multiple opportunities on multiple occasions to set their plans ablaze and spirit himself away as the chaos was sewn. He certainly seemed to know enough for such a task.

Ozpin thought back to the tragic Vytal Festival. Jaune Ashari had abandoned Atlas with almost suspicious timing after that; both Ironwood and his team had been assured that Jaune was unrelated to that catastrophe though, since he had informed the group of his plans nearly a year prior.

Yet the odd huntsman had eagerly taken the fall in his own roundabout way, targeting the media and giving himself the blame – or perhaps the credit?

James seemed utterly convinced that Ashari had performed the act out of misguided selflessness. The general insisted that Ashari was being efficient when he left Atlas and brought the attention of the tabloids to his disappearance. Especially since he wouldn't be around to deal with the consequences.

And perhaps that was true, Ozpin mused over another mouthful of coffee. Since Jaune apparently had good lawyers ready to defend him while he fled, perhaps the plan all along had been to cancel any negative publicity he would've given himself – in turn negating the entire debacle and leaving both General Ironwood and Jacques Schnee to tie the loose ends.

But then Menagerie had happened, and this apparent chessmaster had made a near fatal mistake in trusting a random member of the White Fang? That made no sense, unless Jaune actually knew that girl. But Ozpin now knew the girl in question was the daughter of Ghira Belladonna. How would Jaune know someone like that? Had he been in line with the White Fang before?

The answer seemed blatantly obvious, but Ozpin knew not to trust the face value of such delicate situations – not when that face was a mere thin mask to be torn away with the slightest change in balance. This was true twice over if Jaune Ashari was, in fact, a falsified name.

Between the man's unreasonable knowledge and obvious connection to Salem – negative or not – Ozpin was reasonably certain that Ashari was another relic of a time so ancient that the mere existence of that time was a fairy tale. The Ashari. The people over which he had once ruled.

King Ozma. He tipped his mug back, taking a larger gulp of his coffee as he remembered times long past. Times where he and Salem had gotten along. Times where they had been married with kids. Times when they had ruled together benevolently.

Before Salem had learned of the relics.

As far as Ozpin knew, Jaune knew not of the four relics – but the man knew of so many things he shouldn't already, what was one more?

If Jaune _did _know, then did he plan to use any of them? He was a firm ally of Raven Branwen, to a further extent than anyone of Ozpin's own faction, which meant he could have had access to the Relic of Knowledge.

He'd even been to Haven before, a few times, Ozpin realized. And with Raven's ability, the bandit easily could have sneaked young Nora into Haven and stolen the lamp without Lionheart becoming wise to their game only to replace the lamp when they were done.

Ozpin gripped his mug with both hands when he realized they were shaking. With another sip, he forced himself to calm down. He would get nowhere on such thoughts.

Ozpin glanced at his watch – it was nearly time to talk to the mystery himself. They had a meeting set five minutes from now.

Glancing at his now empty mug, Ozpin supposed five minutes was enough time for a fresh pot.

…

**So between chapter 73 calling Salem "Queen of the Ashari" and my friend-slash-beta-reader Mastos (consider checking out his crossover **_**A Grimm Future **_**which is derived from **_**Warhammer 40K**_** and **_**RWBY **_**and also totally awesome) suggesting a chapter where Ozpin tries to figure out Jaune, I figured I'd get a bit introspective – you know I like to do that – with this installment.**

**I tried to add humor, but I really just got to thinking and reminiscing on all that's happened. Man, it's been a journey, huh? I love **_**Relic.**_


	20. Shopping Trip

**Hope you're ready for some more adorable Emerald. I miss our little messed up child, but it's so nice to see her grow up. Very heartwarming.**

**Coeur did **_**Relic of the Future. **_**I did **_**The Ashari Files.**_

…

Grocery shopping was not something Jaune Ashari had had to do often in his life. Back in Beacon, he just ate at the cafeteria, or Ren had made food. When travelling, Ren had handled it while the others attended to other matters. Even while staying in Atlas Academy, he an Emerald had had access to their cafeteria and thus the need to shop hadn't existed.

But now they had their own apartment. Now here he was, grocery shopping like a proper adult for the first time. Now he even had a kid walking after him, bored out of her mind. At least she wasn't screaming like some other kids.

Instead, she just switched between looking blankly at all the foodstuffs – she was still working on her reading – and staring at other little kids riding in shopping carts and looking at their own shopping cart when she thought Jaune wasn't looking.

"Do you want to ride in the cart, Emerald?" He asked quietly, but she still jumped at the direct address.

Emerald looked skeptical. It didn't look easy to move, instead she'd just be pushed around. She shook her head, denying the proposition without further word.

But she still kept glancing at other kids, and Jaune kept noticing. "You look tired of just walking up and down these aisles. I know I am. You sure you don't want to ride in the cart?" He asked, leaning over slightly to look her in the eyes. Once again, Emerald denied the idea, choosing to walk, but still glancing at other kids in their carts.

"Yeah, walking up and down these aisles is super boring." Jaune shook his head, now actively trying to convince her to get in so he could push her. "I bet riding in this cart would make it more fun, though."

He smiled when Emerald looked up at him.

…

Indigo, the cashier ringing up their purchases, looked terribly amused. Jaune supposed she was justified, since it wasn't often you saw a grown man in a cart being pushed around by a seven year-old.

"I swear," He insisted, handing over some lien, "She wanted to." He gestured to Emerald, who waited quietly with a content smile on her face. Jaune laughed awkwardly, pulling the grocery sacks into the cart with him. "She didn't want a turn herself, though."

"Kids." Indigo shrugged and they shared a good-natured laugh. She handed Emerald the receipt just to be funny, and Emerald dutifully stuffed it into her pocket before beginning to push the cart again.

At least her training made it easy.

…

**So, I had the idea for Jaune Ashari pushing baby Emerald around in a shopping cart. Then I had this **_**much**_** better idea. And we're going to pretend that everyone understood and believed that this was just Emerald being a cute kid and no one bugged Jaune about being an awful parent.**


End file.
